The Tampa Bay Business Journal ran a piece earlier this month titled, “Tampa tech industry is healthy, but local inventors are needed.” Clearly TBBJ hasn’t been to one of our Maker Fairs, but more to the heart of the matter, TBBJ says what’s missing is funding – “Industry observers say lack of local funding has cost the Bay area promising startups such as TourWrist, a Tampa company that moved its headquarters to San Francisco to be closer to potential investors.”

We’d suggest local entrepreneurial and community support is also critical. Having a community that supports small scale innovation and invention is vital to nurturing that innovation and invention and keeping it here. And invention does thrive here in Tampa Bay!

Inventors are alive and well in Tampa Bay, and our community is growing and getting stronger all the time. Here at Gulf Coast Makers, we celebrate makers big and small, young and older and will keep celebrating them, and working for the types of spaces and places where we can all invent and create together.

If you have an invention, an entreprenuerial experience, idea or best practice to share, or just want to talk shop, contact us . We welcome guest bloggers and maker news from all over the Gulf Coast.